The Fawx Bite

XXIX.

The first thing I realized was that I was face down on concrete. It was cold, chilling the skin of my cheek. I realized dully that the side of my face was the only part of me that was cold. My chest, stomach and upper legs were oddly warm. I struggled to get my mind working again. It felt as though it was filled with mud. With exaggerated slowness, I propped myself on to one arm. Looking down, I saw blood coating the ground I was laying on. Startled, it took me a few moments to realize that it was my own blood.

Well, that's not normal. I couldn't remember how this came to be. I was half naked, lying on the ground, covered in blood. From the ache in my body, and the endless shaking of my fingers, it had to all belong to me. There was no one else here in this room. I frowned, struggling to remember how I got here.

Agonizing fire ripping my veins apart.

Viola standing next to Stoker.

Momsen's haunting laughter in my ear.

I remembered everything abruptly. I gasped, wincing as my throat throbbed with renewed pain. I had to find her; if she had stopped then that meant that there was still hope for her. I managed to smile, placing a hand over my throat, struggling to get to my feet. "I just need to...push through."

Pain shot down my spine as I got to my feet, the blood rushing from my head. My stomach flipped, and I grabbed on to the wall, digging my nails into the grooves of the brick. A wave of fresh blood spilled between my fingers. I gagged, feeling sick. My vision was filled with spots and I could barely see anything except for the blurry edges of the door. Still trying to hold on to the wall, I began to stagger forward. But I couldn't figure out where my feet were and before I knew it, I collapsed. I screamed, pain striking me like a whip.

With a tentative hand, I reached out towards the door. My fingers brushed against it. With dull alarm, I noticed that the metal door wasn't as cold as they should have been. No, it was the same temperature as me. Viola had indeed stopped, but she might not have stopped soon enough. My body tensed, the shaking no longer doing the trick as a chill began to freeze my veins. I pressed my hand harder against my neck, wheezing, as my throat seemed to close. I closed my eyes briefly, opening them to find myself in the middle of a garden. The flowers ranged from surfinia to lavender blue blooms. There were numerous others, ranging from colors red to yellow, with even some white. Apple trees rose from the grass, delicate streams spider webbing through the garden.

The sun shined brilliantly above, casting pleasant warmth over my skin. I smiled, spreading my arms to soak it all up. It hit me that Viola would never experience the sun again. She would never stand beside me in a garden, admiring the summer day. There was a gentle rustle as the grass parted to reveal Marek. A laugh escaped my lips and I knelt to wrap my arms around him. "Marek! Oh, Marek I'm so glad to have found you."

His wings flared around us, trapping the warmth of the sun without the rays, "Me too."

I leaned back, "How did I end up here?"

"Because I drew your mind from your body."

"Am I dead?" I asked quietly, feeling my heart skip a beat.

"No," Marek touched my forehead with his nose. "But you're wounded and you've lost a lot of blood. I don't want you to feel anymore pain than you have."
"Is that why you are hiding me?" I frowned slightly, curious.

"Because I would rather you avoid any more of the pain until we get you patched up enough to take you back to the Institute." Marek touched my neck where Viola had bitten me. "Vampire venom is extremely painful if left in the blood stream. If you had been drained fully or if you had ingested any of her blood it wouldn't hurt nearly as much."